The MLB Draft League is a baseball league that began play in 2021.[2] Created by Major League Baseball (MLB) and Prep Baseball Report (PBR), the league operates a split-season format of 80 games with a hybrid amateur–professional structure: for the first half of the season, the league operates as an amateur collegiate summer baseball league to serve as a showcase for top draft-eligible prospects leading up to each July's MLB draft;[2] after a break for the draft, play resumes for the season's remaining games with paid professional players who have exhausted their amateur eligibility.[3]
 | |
| Classification | Collegiate summer (partial) Independent (partial) |
|---|---|
| Sport | Baseball |
| Founded | 2021 |
| Director | Sean Campbell[1] |
| No. of teams | 6 |
| Country | United States |
| Most recent champion(s) | Williamsport Crosscutters (2024) |
| Most titles | West Virginia Black Bears (2) |
| Official website | mlbdraftleague.com |
The league's six teams were formerly members of Minor League Baseball's New York–Penn League, Eastern League, and Carolina League before MLB's reorganization of the minors for 2021.[4][5] In 2021, each team in the league played a 68-game regular season, with an All-Star Break taking place around the MLB draft.[6] The season was expanded to 80 games per team beginning in 2022.[7]
In 2024, MLB announced that the league would be expanded by two teams in the near future and that it would extend its support for the league through 2030.[8]
Current teams
edit
Champions
edit| Team | # of Championships | Year(s) |
|---|---|---|
| West Virginia Black Bears | 2 | 2022, 2023 |
| Trenton Thunder | 1 | 2021 |
| Williamsport Crosscutters | 1 | 2024 |
References
edit- ^ "Sean Campbell taking over as MLB Draft League Executive Director". MLBDraftLeague.com. MLB Draft League. May 29, 2022. Retrieved November 21, 2022.
- ^ a b Reichard, Kevin (November 30, 2020). "Kerrick Jackson is New MLB Draft League President". Ballpark Digest. August Publications. Retrieved November 30, 2020.
- ^ "What is the MLB Draft League". MLBDraftLeague.com. MLB Draft League. Retrieved June 25, 2023.
- ^ "Mahoning Valley Scrappers Retain Affiliation With Major League Baseball in New MLB Draft League". Mahoning Valley Scrappers. Minor League Baseball. November 30, 2020. Retrieved November 30, 2020.
- ^ Cooper, J.J. (December 9, 2020). "Frederick Becomes Sixth Team To Join MLB Draft League". Baseball America. Retrieved December 9, 2020.
- ^ "MLB to Launch League for Draft Prospects". Major League Baseball. November 30, 2020. Retrieved December 2, 2020.
- ^ "Crosscutters 2022 Schedule to Feature More Games and New Start Times". OurSports Central (Press release). November 8, 2021.
- ^ "MLB Extends Commitment to Draft League Through 2030 Season" (Press release). Major League Baseball. May 2, 2024.
